Air Force ready for confrontation – PAF chief
Lieutenant General Jeffrey Delgado, Philippine Air Force Commanding General. BONG LOZADA/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—With the continuing tension in the South China Sea, the Philippine Air Force is ready to face the enemy if the need arises.
Lieutenant General Jeffrey Delgado, PAF Commanding General, said his armed wings are ready for any contingency that may happen.
“What we can say is we are prepared in any contingency as far as the government asks us to do,” Delgado said Wednesday at the Villamor Air Base. “Even with our meager resources, we can confront any (force) should there be a need for us to be involved.”
Currently, Delgado said that its airmen are concerned on monitoring the activities in the disputed sea daily.
“Right now we are avoiding confrontations, and adhere to the rule of law,” Delgado said.
Role on territorial defense
As far as territorial defense is concerned, the PAF is still monitoring the activities in the South China Sea.
“Right now based on our role as far as territorial defense is concerned, we provide the information to our headquarters, what we see up above, and provide air intelligence.”
Colonel Florante Falsis, Deputy Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Intelligence, said that there are times when 10 or 12 Chinese vessels are spotted conducting dredging operations in the South China Sea.
Delgado, however, said that the figures are changing as ships come and go depending on the type of activities.
“There are times when the ships trickle down to three or four as the number usually depends on their activities,” the PAF chief said.
Falsis added that the PAF’s monitoring activities are focused on Bajo Masinloc and Ayungin Shoal where the latest activities of China and the other claimants are active.
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